By Marco Hugo Barsotti MHB 
Welcome to am1575news, the news bulletin of France24 and Radio Centrale Milano for Friday August 28 2026 in podcasting, on medium wave and on franciaoggi.com. In the editorial office in Nice Marco Hugo Barsotti, from Paris Rachel Costa.
News from France
First economic debate at Roland‑Garros: the seven presidential candidates clash on the economic front
On August 27 the most unexpected event of the presidential campaign took place on the Philippe‑Chatrier court at Roland‑Garros, transformed for the occasion into an arena of economic debate. For three hours the seven main aspirants to the French White House compared their proposals before about 5 500 spectators, under the supervision of five business executives belonging to the Medef, who presented the results of a survey conducted on over 66 000 business leaders.
Among the protagonists stood out Gabriel Attal (Renaissance), Raphaël Glucksmann (Place Publique), Jean‑Luc Mélenchon (LFI), Édouard Philippe (Horizons), Bruno Retailleau (LR), Marine Tondelier (Ecologists) and Marine Le Pen (RN). The program ranged from management of public debt and deficit, to pension reform, production costs, simplification of regulations and corporate taxation.
Édouard Philippe opened the session emphasizing the need to devote more time to dialogue with businesses than to confrontation among politicians. A Medef member, identified only as Emmanuel, immediately questioned Philippe, calling “the extremes” unacceptable but without yet stating whom he will support in the electoral race.
The debate was animated by heated exchanges: Jean‑Luc Mélenchon launched a direct attack on the patronage, while Gabriel Attal responded with sarcasm to Mélenchon’s proposals to “erase” part of the public debt, accusing them of sadism. Raphaël Glucksmann pointed the finger at Marine Le Pen, criticizing her for her positions on public spending, immigration and the French contribution to the European budget. Bruno Retailleau proposed linking the retirement age to life expectancy and reducing the number of officials by 250‑300 thousand units, while Marine Tondelier defended the green fund against Attal’s accusation of having “split it into four”.
During the discussion, a thunderstorm interrupted the remarks, but Mélenchon continued to speak loudly, provoking laughter in the audience. Towards the end, the candidates launched their final appeals: Mélenchon invited voters to “listen to words, not caricatures”, while Le Pen asked to “judge what is read, not what is heard”.
The debate marked the first direct confrontation among the main figures of French politics on economic issues, paving the way for further electoral clashes in the weeks to come. Franceinfo, August 28 2026 Fact Check by Gemma4.
Last weekend before back to school: red Friday and weekend under high tension on the roads
Bison Futé announced that the weekend closing the school holidays will be characterized by heavy congestion across the entire national road network. Starting Friday August 28, traffic flow classification moved to red level for return routes to the major conurbations, with further intensification of difficulties until Monday August 31.
On Friday, authorities anticipate a massive influx of motorists heading to the Atlantic coastal areas and the southeast quarter of the country, especially from late morning to early evening. In Île‑de‑France the first slowdowns are expected already in early afternoon on highways A10 and A6, intensifying toward evening due to overlap with commuter traffic. For those departing, it is advisable to leave the region before 5 p.m. or after 7 p.m., avoiding highways A1, A25, A10, A62 and national roads N42, N24, N24 in the indicated sections; for those returning, it is safer to cross Île‑de‑France before noon or after 11 p.m., avoiding highways A63, A10, A7, A75, A20, the Mont Blanc tunnel (N205) and the eastern bypass of Lyon (A46/N346) at the specified times.
Saturday August 29 the situation remains critical especially for returns toward the Atlantic coast, the southwest and southeast, with congestion extending from mid‑morning to early afternoon. Departure trips also show signs of tightness in the North, Grand West and in the Auvergne‑Rhône‑Alpes region. In Île‑de‑France pressure again concentrates on A10 and A6 from late morning until late evening. It is advised, for those departing, to avoid N42, N24, A10, A7, the Mont Blanc tunnel and the Lyon bypass in the indicated periods; for those returning, it is advisable to cross Île‑de‑France before 10 a.m., avoiding highway A11 (Nantes‑Angers and Angers‑Paris segment), N165, A84, A63, A10 (Bordeaux‑Tours), A7, A75 and A7 in the respective intervals.
Sunday August 30 tension is mainly concentrated in Auvergne‑Rhône‑Alpes, where delays extend from late morning to afternoon, and in Île‑de‑France, where highways A10, A6 and A13 show intense flows from late morning until deep night. Those needing to cross the capital should do so before 11 a.m., avoiding highways A7 (Orange‑Lyon segment), A75 (Béziers‑Clermont‑Ferrand), A43 (Chambéry‑Lyon), the Mont Blanc tunnel and A40 (Mâcon‑Passy) at the indicated times.
Monday August 31, the last return day before the school restart, marks the peak of combined congestion between end‑of‑holiday trips and normal commuter movements, with slowdowns starting from late morning on highways A10 (between Saint‑Arnoult and Wissous) and A6 (between Corbeil and Wissous) in Île‑de‑France. Congestion persists until late evening, especially in the afternoon. For those needing to cross the region, it is advisable to pass before 11 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
BFM TV, August 28 2026
Fact Check by Gemma4.
Rachel’s Editorial – When the frenzy of pre‑return weekends becomes a national sport
Bison Futé has painted the country red as if it were the light of a mad traffic light, but have you already wondered who decided that our lives should be measured in minutes of “avoid the highway”. The bundle of advice seems more like a recipe for a guided tour of “how never to reach a destination”: “before 12 p.m. or after 11 p.m.” An option so generous as to make one believe that the rest of the population lives in an oasis of tranquility.
Yet, while the newspaper continuously lists the routes to bypass, the real drama seems to be the absurd confidence in a driver’s ability to consult an eight‑page list before starting the engine. Where has the logic of an infrastructure intervention gone? Perhaps it is easier to put red on the sign than to put money where it is needed: few additional lanes, more public transport, fewer cars in queues.
Contradictions are not lacking: the same Bison Futé warns to “avoid A10 between Tours and Bordeaux from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.” but then suggests “gather or cross Île‑de‑France before 12 p.m.” How is a driver leaving Tours at 11 a.m. supposed to act? It would be a case of choosing “between nightmare and worse nightmare”. Journalism here turns into a screenplay of an automotive thriller where all protagonists are condemned to remain stuck.
In the end, the real news is that traffic is a symptom of a society that has not yet learned to manage its breaks. While we await the red traffic light, perhaps we should ask our politicians if they can give a greener signal of real change, instead of plastering on all screens the usual “when not to go” table. And if the answer is still “avoid A1 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.”, then the circus is well underway.
Koan of the day
A monk asked the Master: “If Bison Futé paints the road network red, what color will we find in the hearts of travelers?”
The Master replied: “They will see red as a warning, but they will feel traffic as the colour of the echo of an unkept promise.”
The monk persisted: “Then, how can one travel the road without crossing the red of destiny?”
The Master smiled and said: “Walking on the thought that every deviation is already a path; the real jam is the mind that gets stuck in front of the sign.”
But let’s return to the news.
Small parcel imports down 30‑40 % in EU: 5.8 billion parcels of €150 in France in 2025
A new European tax, introduced on July 1, imposes an additional charge of €3 on all parcels valued under €150 shipped from external e‑commerce platforms. The goal is to curb the massive influx of low‑cost goods mainly coming from Asian giants such as Shein, AliExpress and Temu.
According to data released by the Ministry of Economy, imports of these “small parcels” have fallen between 30 % and 40 % in the 27 EU Member States. In France, which was among the first to apply a €2 tax in March, the arrival of 5.8 billion such parcels was recorded in 2025. The parcel flow has indeed quintupled at Charles‑de‑Gaulle airport between 2022 and 2024.
Customs authorities highlighted a strong reduction of inspections on these shipments, but of 700 checks carried out in 2025, 70 % of parcels did not meet current regulations and 45 % were classified “dangerous”. Economy Minister Roland Lescure emphasized that the measure shows that “it is not inevitable to suffer Chinese competition”, highlighting the tax’s effectiveness in limiting low‑cost imports.
The new tax regime adds to a previous French attempt to introduce a €2 tax, widely evaded through rerouting to Brussels and the Netherlands. With European‑level harmonization, the €3 tax is now applied in all Member States, making it harder for sellers to evade the surcharge.
BFM Business, August 27 2026
Fact Check by Gemma4.
Nvidia makes the extraordinary almost banal with stratospheric results and reassures the market with spectacular forecasts
The graphics processor giant surpassed expectations with results and forecasts that pushed the stock to gain 7 % in early trading on Thursday August 27. Nvidia primarily confirmed the robustness of demand for its products, helping to soothe investor tensions.
Revenue rose to $96.2 billion in the second quarter, a 106 % increase over the previous year, far surpassing the $92.3 billion forecast by analysts. Net profit more than doubled, reaching $59.7 billion, an increase of 126 %.
The boost came almost exclusively from data centers, which generated $89 billion in revenue, up 117 % year‑on‑year and now account for over 90 % of total revenue. The launch of Blackwell Ultra and the massive spending by major tech players have fueled this dynamic. Josh Gilbert, analyst for eToro, emphasized that “Blackwell Ultra supported the quarter, while Vera Rubin is already in full production” and added that Nvidia makes “the extraordinary almost banal”.
For the third quarter the company forecasts revenue of around $108 billion, above the $105 billion estimated by experts. CEO Jensen Huang spoke of “huge” prospects for 2027, while CFO Colette Kress indicated a 70 % revenue growth expected for fiscal year 2028, against over 100 % current growth. According to Gilbert, demand is advancing at almost 100 % pace, but Nvidia commits only to 70 % growth because that is the maximum the company can guarantee.
Tensions seem more linked to supply than to a demand decline, and product prices continue to rise by over 15 %, unlike the classic price‑cut mechanism following a surplus. Morningstar observed that, despite cautious forecasts, Nvidia’s ability to exceed expectations makes these estimates “sound”. However, the CFO warned that tariff conditions are “tight” due to limited supplier availability, and rising component costs such as memory could weigh on margins. Gross operating margin is expected to fall from 75 % to 71‑72 % in the fourth quarter, according to Morningstar forecasts, representing the only notable negative note in the report.
The market reacted positively: the stock closed up +4.8 % in New York, and at Thursday’s open it rose 7 %. Enthusiasm also spread to European semiconductor listings, with Soitec up 7.2 %, STMicroelectronics +4.3 %, X‑fab +2.6 %, Infineon +5.3 % and ASML +1 %.
BFM Bourse, August 27 2026
Fact Check by Gemma4.
Welcome to the international bulletin from FranceToday and Radio Centrale Milano for Friday August 28 2026 on FranceToday.com in podcasting and on Medium Wave at 1575 kHz.
From Paris, this is Rachel Costa.
Alert in Nepal: devastating floods have caused 472 deaths
Nepalese authorities confirmed that recent torrential rains and glacial landslides have caused the death of 472 people, with thousands of displaced still scattered along the border with Tibet. Rescue teams have temporarily halted operations due to the danger posed by a rapidly filling new water lake above the slope. The government is mobilizing international resources to provide emergency aid to the affected communities.
The emergency shelter in the Nepal‑Tibet border area has been closed due to risk of further flooding
Chinese rescue forces ordered the suspension of rescue activities in the mountainous Himalaya region, fearing that the waters of a temporary lake could breach the natural dam again. Authorities warned residents to evacuate downstream areas and activated a mass evacuation plan. Experts are continuously monitoring water levels to prevent further tragedies.
President Trump issues an order to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America”
In a symbolic move, the United States president signed a decree renaming Lake Ontario, traditionally shared with Canada, to the new name “Lake America”. The decision came amid growing trade tensions between the two countries, with Canada having already sharply criticized the measure. International observers remain skeptical about the real impact of the decree on the bilateral relationship.
The U.S. Army invests $2.2 billion in small‑scale modular nuclear reactors
The United States Department of Defense announced a financial commitment of $2.2 billion for the development and installation of modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). These units, smaller and more flexible than traditional nuclear plants, are intended to provide power in remote areas and military bases. The initiative aims to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and strengthen the energy security of military operations.
Visa and Mastercard make the first card payments in Syria after sanctions removal
Following the United States’ decision to remove Syria from the blacklist, the two major payment companies have launched the first credit‑card transactions in the country. The operation marks an important step toward normalizing financial relations with Damascus, opening new opportunities for the Syrian market. Analysts warn, however, that local political instability could affect the speed of commercial recovery.
Nvidia posts record profits and pushes shareholders toward new opportunities in the artificial intelligence sector
In its latest quarter, the semiconductor giant announced a net profit more than doubled, thanks to growing demand for graphics cards for artificial intelligence. The shares gained over seven percent on the stock exchange, reflecting investor enthusiasm for growth prospects in data processing. The company also outlined further investments in high‑capacity computing centers to support global demand.
Anthropic considers selling shares to shareholders during the IPO, following SpaceX’s model
The artificial‑intelligence startup, founded by former OpenAI employees, is considering allowing early investors to liquidate part of their holdings at the time of the initial public offering, a strategy similar to that used by SpaceX. This choice could increase the IPO’s appeal, offering greater liquidity to early investors. Market experts note that such an approach could affect the opening price and the long‑term stability of Anthropic’s stock.
Weather Paris, Monaco Monte Carlo and Milan for Friday August 28 2026
Paris – unsettled day with scattered showers
The morning in Paris appears very cloudy with possible showers, temperature 18, moderate wind at 20 km/h with gusts up to 45 km/h and probability of rain at 100 %.
In the afternoon the clouds remain but instability slightly lessens, temperatures rise to 21, wind stays around 20 km/h with gusts of 60 km/h and rain risk drops to 75 %.
In the evening, around 19, the sky will clear partly, temperature will be 19, wind 15 km/h and gusts of 40 km/h, with a still high chance of rain at 70 %.
During the night, conditions stabilize: mainly clear sky, temperature 17, light wind 10 km/h with gusts of 30 km/h and no precipitation.
The day’s minimum temperature will be 18, maximum 21.
(Report provided by expert Régis Crêpet)
Monaco Monte Carlo – variable sky, warm temperatures
In the morning the weather in Monaco is slightly cloudy, with temperatures around 26, light wind of 10 km/h and gusts of 30 km/h; forecasts indicate a high rain risk at 100 %.
In the afternoon the sun breaks through, temperature rises to 29, wind increases to 15 km/h with gusts of 35 km/h and the rain probability drops to 25 %.
In the evening, around 20, the sky remains variable, temperature 26, wind 15 km/h and gusts 35 km/h, with still a 25 % chance of rain.
During the night the sky becomes clearer, temperature 22, stronger wind at 20 km/h with gusts of 40 km/h, but no precipitation.
The day’s minimum will be 26, maximum 29.
Milan – summer heat, variable cloudiness and brief showers
In the morning Milan is cloudy, with temperature 24, almost no wind from NNE at 2 km/h and almost no rain.
Around 10 a.m., the sky becomes more overcast, temperature rises to 27, east wind at 7 km/h and forecasts indicate possible showers with 0.5 mm of rain and a 90 % probability.
In the afternoon, around 14, the sky clears again, temperature reaches 31, light east wind at 3 km/h and precipitation decreases.
In the late afternoon, at 15, scattered clouds alternate with clearings, temperature reaches a maximum of 32, wind from ESE at 4 km/h.
In the evening, around 18, temperatures drop to 30, wind from SE at 10 km/h and rain probabilities return to 40 %.
During the night, temperatures fall to 24, wind eases to 2 km/h from SE and there is no precipitation.
The day’s minimum temperature will be 24, maximum 32.
(Report provided by expert Daniele Berlusconi of 3B Meteo)
Rachel’s Weather Editorial – Is the weather always to blame?
How many times have we heard that every drop of rain, every heat wave, is yet another demonstration of climate change? Sure, the planet is warming, but do we really wonder whether today’s few‑degree rise should be blamed on a wrong piece of clothing or a viral tweet.
And what if the real culprit is simply our inability to distinguish a cloud from a unicorn’s shadow? Before pointing the finger at the future, perhaps it is time to remember that the weather is a bit like a comedian on stage: spontaneous, sometimes nonsensical and, above all, not always ready to blame those who listen.
Koan of the day
A monk asked: “What face does the weather have today?”
Zhaozhou replied: “The weather is like a mirror without reflections.”
A monk asked: “Is it true that the climate is responsible for every change?”
Zhaozhou concluded: “Attributing everything to the climate is like looking for a shadow in fire.”
And that’s today’s weather.
Sign-off.
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